Excitement was high at the GRAMMYs this weekend as hundreds of music industry professionals gathered in Los Angeles to celebrate the year’s talent, sipping martinis and exchanging pleasantries and expectations about how the awards would go. Enthusiasm was particularly strong for alumni of The Los Angeles Recording School, a division of The Los Angeles Film School, many of whom were nominated this year.
Seven of the School’s alumni took home GRAMMY wins this year on five albums—eight awards in total—showcasing their work with such stars as Beyoncé, SZA, Sabrina Carpenter, and others.
“Cowboy Carter”
Beyoncé’s album Cowboy Carter claimed three GRAMMY awards: Album of the Year, Best Country Album, and Best Country Duo/Group Performance. Credited as contributors for the wins were four Los Angeles Film School alumni, including recording engineers Henrique Andrade (class of 2011) and Brandon Harding (class of 2013), as well as mixing engineer Jaycen Joshua (class of 2003) and assistant engineer Jacob Richards (class of 2017).
This was engineer Brandon Harding’s first GRAMMY win; he was named individually to receive Album of the Year. Harding has actually been nominated twice before (in 2023) for his contributions to Beyoncé’s Renaissance album.
“Revenge”
Two of the engineers credited for work on Cowboy Carter, Jaycen Joshua and Jacob Richards, were also recognized for their work on Muni Long’s album, Revenge, which won this year’s GRAMMY for Best R&B Performance.
“Every project is a journey,” Richards remarked, “and this recognition represents the incredible path alumni like me have created in the music industry. This acknowledgment goes beyond personal achievement—it’s about the collective creativity, attention to detail, and commitment to the craft we bring to every opportunity.”
“Short n’ Sweet”
Anthony Vilchis (class of 2018), a mixing engineer with over 600 major label credits, was awarded for his work as an assistant mixer and studio personnel for Sabrina Carpenter’s album Short n’ Sweet, which received two GRAMMYs, one for Best Pop Solo Performance and the other for Best Pop Vocal Album.
Other Credits
There were more awards, too. Engineer Julio Ulloa (class of 2015) was credited for his contribution to Nxworries’ album Why Lawd?, which won the GRAMMY for Best Progressive R&B Album. Mixing engineer Hector Castro (class of 2014) was recognized for his work on SZA’s hit single “Saturn,” which received the GRAMMY for Best R&B Song.
A Source of Pride for The Los Angeles Film School
Founded in 1999 (and adding the LA Recording School as one of its divisions in 2010), Hollywood’s LA Film School has established a legacy to be proud of. The school is where Oscar-winning sound designer Phillip Bladh got his start, and its roster of alums have worked on many multi-platinum records, GRAMMY-awarded and GRAMMY-nominated albums, and Oscar-winning films, and have been recognized at film festivals internationally. Sunday’s wins for its alums were today’s chapter in a twenty-year story.
The Los Angeles Film School’s offerings cover a broad range of fields and careers in the modern music industry. It offers entertainment-focused Bachelor of Science degrees in Animation, Audio Production, Digital Filmmaking, Entertainment Business, Film Production, Graphic Design, Media Communications, Music Production, and Writing for Film and TV, as well as several two-year degree programs. The hands-on education exposes students to industry equipment, editing labs, dub stages, and advanced recording studios.
Given this year’s wins and the school’s mission of shaping passionate students into industry-defining professionals, it will be exciting to see what both those awarded at the GRAMMYs on Sunday and the school’s other alums achieve in the years to come.
For more information on The Los Angeles Film School or The Los Angeles Recording School, check out their website at lafilm.edu.
